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Hear the Whit Friday band contest from Saddleworth"

The link doesn't seem to have made "listen again" yet, but I'm sure it will very soon....http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/progs/listenagain.shtml. [EDIT:] of course as soon as I submitted, its there! In the "Choice of the Day" column on the right - I expect they'll put it in the main sections later!

Anyone hear it?

Was a little surprised that the rendition of Knight Templar at the beginning was credited to Black Dyke - they weren't out this year, were they? Must have come off a CD, I suppose...

"An Internet Scratch band" got a mention - but not by name. Hawaiian brass and the wedding band also mentioned and a couple of ladies (who might have had the odd drink :redface were interviewed - and several others...

Shame that Tameside didn't even get a mention - but I think that their "numbers of bands competing" statistics would have included the Tameside circuit competitors....

I'll probably listen to it again laterwhen I get a chance as I recorded it on my MP3 player...

What was dissapointing (from a personal perspective) was that the BBC had put a reporter on our coach (Greenfield Band) who diligently recorded the band as we went round the villages, and interviewed virtually every band member and official in one form or another. None of that material was used (although it was us playing "Hail smiling morn" at the top of the programme -two reporters marched from Friezland to Uppermill with us in the morning) and instead concentrated of B and R. It led to a very one sided viewpoint of the contests themselves and didnt really paint a true picture of what was going on outside of the elite. I do feel really sorry for the poor reporter, who put so much work and effort in and seemed to really enjoy herself, that none of her material was used.

It won't let me listen to it Stupid Mac's.. I've tried downloading RealPlayer so I can listen to it and it won't download.. Grrrr... my mum was interviewed at Greenfield :S I wanna hear it to make sure they didn't use her 5 hour speech

I heard it and thought it was full of comedy moments!!
B&R did seem to be overly featured but I put that down to the fact that they are one of the best known to the audience and might give them a frame of reference. The bit about no women in the band made me laugh! All the usual excuses came out! It was highly amusing to me that they actually managed to get the potential for intimate relations out into the national radio community!
Glad to see that the "internet based band" got a mention.

Persins.. the bit about the "no women" in the band on the radio.. was that from the band members.. and not a woman going on and on and on?!
I'm reeeeally worried, and REALLY need to hear this radio thing.. my mum got interviewed at Greenfield when Brighouse were playing on the stand.. and she had SO better not have been on!

The 'Internet Band' - that probably came from my hubbie - he did say it was The Mouthpiece which they didn't mention and thank goodness they also didn't quote what he said next.....

I don't know if I dare.....

oh go on then...

"the anoracs of the Brass Band World"

Mind you, we had got out of the car to walk into Uppermill in the morning and left him sat queing at Greenfield whilst a band played and then marched on into Uppermill. we eventually met up again over an hour later......

An excellent, entertaining, amusing, atmospheric and topical programme, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The only bit I didn't like, was when someone (a local) was explaining it's historic link to the religious Whit Friday marches in the morning - for a couple of minutes, it began to sound more like an evangelical sermon, but it soon got back to what I feel the programme was really about, a march contest.

An excellent, entertaining, amusing, atmospheric and topical programme, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The only bit I didn't like, was when someone (a local) was explaining it's historic link to the religious Whit Friday marches in the morning - for a couple of minutes, it began to sound more like an evangelical sermon, but it soon got back to what I feel the programme was really about, a march contest.

Click to expand...

And that sermon was cut by the programme editor as well Timbone!!!! (I suppose I should say thank god here) - it was recorded as we were forming up and the dog collar went on and on and on. Unfortunately he was stood by me whilst he was recording it so you dont know how lucky you are!!!!!!!

To be fair to the programme makers they showed us their brief/ spec before they interviewed us and the "religious significance" was one area they had to explore. they must have had hours of material at the end of the recording to edit.

Just listened to this on the listen again feature.
Loved the bit 24minutes in, when Brighouse were taking the vote on the bus as to whether they should do Delph. There's a voice from the back shouting "Put ya hand up - ya fat git".
Its good to know that even these 'SuperStars' of banding are still just a normal band.